Guidance on caretaker conventions
The Prime Minister has now visited the Governor General to request the dissolution of the House of Representatives and a General Election.
This means that the Government assumes a caretaker role until the outcome of the election is clear or, if there is a change of government, until the new government is appointed.
Government administration continues during this period. However, successive governments have followed a series of practices – the ‘caretaker conventions’ – which aim to ensure that their actions do not bind an incoming government and limit its freedom of action.
The conventions support practices that are intended to preserve the apolitical nature of the Australian Public Service (APS) and avoid the use of Australian Government resources in a manner that may advantage a particular political party.
Caretaker conventions video
Caretaker conventions video
The APS Academy has produced this short video to explain the caretaker conventions and help APS employees understand their responsibilities during this period.
Guidance from Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
The Department of The Prime Minister and Cabinet has recently updated their Guidance on Caretaker Conventions.
Talk to your supervisor
If you are unsure how the caretaker conventions apply to you please discuss it with your supervisor.